One could argue Kim Kardashian had a hand in helping Reggie Bush push the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl. Is TV starlet Kristin Cavallari doing the same for Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears?

Fans wondered aloud whether it was time for Jay Cutler to cut bait when he got back together with his ex-girlfriend in 2011. They thought Cavallari was another distraction he didn’t need while focusing his efforts and helping the Chicago Bears get back to the playoffs. Now the two stand engaged and expecting a baby boy this summer. Is it a sign of doom for the quarterback? Friend and fellow star on the The Hills television show thinks nothing but good things will come from Cavallari. Already on record saying her friend is perfect for Cutler, Montag came back in a recent interview with Us Weekly and said Kristin will go down as the best mother ever. She and Cutler are in the perfect place in their lives together. It sounds like the typical gushing from one friend to her BFF but does she have a point?

NFL and ESPN moves prove Cutler has improved on and off the field

Bears fans had a sense of dread after the 2009 season. Cutler had finished with a league-high 27 interceptions and stood behind one of the worst offensive lines in franchise history. People accused him of being stoic, disinterested and a cry baby. Then he met a pretty, young woman named Kristin Cavallari. The quiet and withdrawn young quarterback suddenly had a girlfriend who spent every day in front of the cameras. When the 2010 season began it was still the same Jay, but as it wore on fans started to notice a change. He was more cautious with the football and less cold during interviews. If not for a tragic controversy surrounding a knee injury in the NFC championship people might have said the season was a huge success for him since he hadn’t gotten to the playoffs until then. Then in 2011 the transformation continued. Cutler lost weight and improved his attitude. After a rough season start the Bears reeled off five-straight wins and were 7-3, ready for another playoff run. Sadly Jay broke his thumb and the team fell apart down the stretch. Entering the new season it’s hard for fans to not see influence from Cavallari. Her boyfriend has NFL experts seeing big things in 2012 and he also signed on for a weekly radio show with ESPN, something he never would have done before they met.

Kristin Cavallari did little for the Chicago Bears openly but her effect on quarterback Jay Cutler shouldn’t get ignored. Heidi Montag said she is the perfect person to father his child. Given the NFL and ESPN outlooks, she may take home the award for best girlfriend too.